Standard 11 Fermentation

FCS-FS-11. Students will discuss the principles of fermentation. a. List the reasons that food is fermented and identify food products that result from fermentation. b. Differentiate among yeast, bacterial, and mold fermentation. c. List the factors that impact the growth of single celled organisms. d. Describe the process of pickling, making vinegar, and making yeast breads.

Fermentation Has been a method of preserving food for centuries. Mold and yeast are fungi. Fermentation-creating conditions that cause good microorganisms to grow and prevent those that cause food to spoil. Ingredients added to food mixtures along with carefully controlled conditions such as temperature and lack of oxygen promote fermentation  

In fermentation a. the growth of microorganisms that cause food to spoil are impeded, b. chemicals or a by-product is released, c. the flavor and texture of food is changed d. food is digested easier. Lactic acid bacteria (lacto bacillus) convert lactose in milk to lactic acid which changes milk into curds and whey from which cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese are made. Yeast and bacteria involved in fermentation survive in an anaerobic environment. Yeast is crucial to the commercial industries involving beer and wine.

Pickling Pickling", also known as "brining“ or "corning", is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine (salt water)to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid). The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sourtaste.

Yeast One celled microorganisms. When added to grapes, the yeast eat the sugar and produce alcohol. Alcoholic fermentation formula- C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH +CO2. In bread making, the yeast eats the sugar and produces CO2 (a gas) which causes bread to rise. During fermentation, carbon dioxide bubbles form: acidity increases which helps breakdown starch into sugar and suppresses the growth of bacteria.

Molds Made up of more than one cell. Vegetative mold cells take in food from the organism for energy and new cell material. Molds reproduce through spores. Molds can survive in saltier, more acidic conditions; they cannot survive in anaerobic environments.

Molds produce stems which is called a fruiting body Molds produce stems which is called a fruiting body. Fruiting bodies produce spores which settle on a substance and grow mold colonies. Molds are detrimental and beneficial to the food industry Molds produce toxins which can be poisonous and are linked to cancer.

Some molds are beneficial because they add flavor to cheeses such as Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Blue Cheese. Molds contribute to the making of soy sauce. Molds make ascetic and lactic acid which are important to the production of many enzymes. Most important contribution of molds is in the production of penicillin.

In your notebook Next Page: Use chapter 17 a. List the reasons that food is fermented and identify food products that result from fermentation. b. Differentiate among yeast, bacterial, and mold fermentation.